lost-in-limbo There are many Agatha Christie's "10 little Indians" variants about, but I always find this concept entertaining despite its basic mechanics of murder and mystery. And this Japanese production is just the same. It plays out like "10 Little Indians" meets "Big Brother" and is handled by a competent director in the name of Hideo Nakata. Well known for for the influential horror "Ringu" (1998). Ten people have thought they got a lucrative job, but actually find themselves locked up for seven days and forced to play a experimental murder game in what they call the paranoia house. The outline is basic, but it's how the innovative screenplay plays about our characters and puts them in difficult situations. Where danger and suspicions fuel the fire. The mystery is engaging, psychology interplay tingles and there's nothing black and white here with these unstable characters. Even if there are some questionable inclusions and elaborate plotting. Sure there are daft moments, but Nakata's direction is sure-footed and suspense well-timed. Simple, it's entertaining and with that in mind its rather ironic in what I'm typing since it's taking a shot at society's obsession of turning violence into profitable entertainment. The music is subtle, but effective and the sombre underground(?) location is sterile in appearance and taut in atmosphere. It's slickly shot with Nakata's clinical approach working in its favour. The performances are rock-solid by the likes of Tatsuya Fujiwara, Kin'ya Kitaôji, Haruka Ayase and Satomi Ishihara."You like mysteries"?

sol- Having signed up for a mysterious psychological experiment with the promise of a lucrative paycheck, ten individuals find themselves locked in an underground facility in which they are slowly killed off in this Japanese thriller from the director of 'Ringu', Hideo Nakata. The movie is clearly influenced by Agatha Christie's 'Ten Little Indians' with creepy Indian statuettes to match, however, this is very much a story of its own with a contemporary culture twist to come that is best left unspoiled; suffice it to say, the mysterious numbers that keep rapidly ticking over beneath the time and date on the wall serve a definite purpose. There is also an unsettling newfangled robot in this tale and as each of the ten participants are given their own weapon, the film often feels like it owes more to the Cluedo board game than Christie's iconic murder mystery. Whatever the influence, Nakata creates a gripping ride in which we are forced to not only question who the murderer is but who is behind the facility and what the aim of their experiment actually is. The film benefits from imaginative sets too and some really good performances - in particular, Kin'ya Kitaôji as the oldest among the ten, a recovering alcoholic who recently lost his son. Less effective is Tatsuya Fujiwara as the protagonist, but that is mostly due to way his character is written: though a confessed coward, he frequently comes off as self-righteous and preachy. The film also concludes with a host of unanswered questions in terms of the way the facility is run and is allowed to operate, but the solution to the first murder is admittedly nifty and the film offers plenty of food for thought in terms of how much we tend to assume things in life and tend to consider the possible negative in others.

grantss Great concept, but flawed execution.Ten strangers sign up for a highly lucrative but mysterious role. They then discover that they are to be part of a social experiment lasting seven days. Also turns out that the experiment involves murder...Very interesting premise, and the first few scenes for the movie were very intriguing. The movie felt like Battle Royale meets Cube meets Cluedo, with a touch of Agatha Christie thrown in.However, it doesn't quite deliver on its promise. While trying to be a study in human behaviour, it doesn't really capture human behaviour very well. In addition, many plot developments feel contrived, and can easily be explained away, by means more obvious than those decided upon in the movie. We also have twists for twists sake, some of which are telegraphed a long way off. On the plus side, there is still a good degree of intrigue, and this does keep you interested.Overall: okay, but not great. A tighter, more focused script and this would have been excellent.

morefshpls *Read after watching* *Just watch it anyway*Like many of these films with the lead actor, of whom I seem to be quite a fan, I'd probably cringe massively if it was in English, but because it's in Japanese (same if it was Korean or Chinese), I happily and perhaps patronisingly treat it as a school play and enjoy it for all the glorious overacting and silliness of plot and direction. I could be provoked by wondering why, there having been at least one previous game and most likely as many viewers, had none of the players seen the show themselves before. And just what is the premise for the supposed societal acceptance of this game on TV anyway? Oh, but who cares? Even if it's meant to be taken seriously and the moral ending isn't really meant to be cheesy - with the 'throwaway' flourish about appreciating life, the total clash with Western cinema norm just makes this typically quaint and enjoyable. As ever, you can probably enjoy watching these movies even more by role-playing as a naive and excitable Japanese schoolgirl, or simply another Tatsuya Fujiwara. So much fun to feel as shocked as he always seems to get! =)) Evocative of Battle Royale, Cube, Kaiji, Hostel, Saw, the Ring. But more like a creepy and minimalist Big Brother TV show with weapons. Not quite as fun as Kaiji or Battle Royale, and it's certainly not Deathnote (like or nearly as good as)- but it's worth watching. Doesn't quite feel new or original because of said films but it is more of the same for fans of the genre. 6/10